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Wiz Imp

(8,152 posts) Tue Nov 4, 2025, 09:18 PM Nov 4

Pennsylvania reelects Supreme Court justices, extending a Democratic majority on its highest court

Last edited Tue Nov 4, 2025, 11:06 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: AP

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — All three of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices who sought reelection Tuesday will get another term, ensuring Democratic jurists keep their majority on the presidential battleground state’s highest court — one at the center of pivotal fights over voting rights, redistricting and elections.

The result shapes the makeup of the seven-member court through the next presidential election in 2028. The three justices had been elected as Democrats, and voters were deciding whether to extend the court’s Democratic majority. Rejecting all three could have plunged the court into a partisan deadlock if the state’s politically divided government could not agree on temporary appointees to fill in.

Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty and David Wecht won new terms, with support from the Democratic Party and allies including Planned Parenthood, labor unions, trial lawyers and a constellation of progressive groups.

In particular, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro — considered a potential White House contender in 2028 who is up for reelection next year — appeared in ads for the justices and lobbied for their retention.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-supreme-court-election-55e2fff26ab17e6f02f9e4808497587c

22 replies

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Pennsylvania reelects Supreme Court justices, extending a Democratic majority on its highest court (Original Post) Wiz Imp Nov 4 OP

How wonderful this news is! CaliforniaPeggy Nov 4 #1

Jeff Yass wasted millions of dollars on his stupid mailers FakeNoose Nov 4 #2

I heard some idiotic radio ad here in Philly by the GOP BumRushDaShow Nov 4 #5

Woot! THANK GOODNESS! BumRushDaShow Nov 4 #3

I thought that watching the Rangers game would be less stressful than watching these election results. nycbos Nov 4 #4

They won by a landslide! ancianita Nov 4 #6

Trump and MAGA lose again... Septua Nov 4 #7

It was only by a couple thousand votes, but "Yes" won in even Deminpenn Nov 4 #8

Beaver County's northern neightbor, Lawrence County, voted "No" to all three PA Supreme Court retentions. John1956PA Nov 5 #10

"Yes" won in some surprising places Deminpenn Nov 5 #11

If Democrats can maintain any momentum at all, Perry's toast. Wiz Imp Nov 5 #21

Dems swept the statewide judicial races Deminpenn Nov 5 #22

ding. THIS AllaN01Bear Nov 4 #9

Dems also swept the Commonwealth and Superior court races Deminpenn Nov 5 #12

Yep! It was a 7 for 7 sweep! Wiz Imp Nov 5 #16

Democrats didn't just rebound. They dominated. BlueWavePsych Nov 5 #13

TY for all that additional Dem s Win info! Cha Nov 5 #20

I've seen more Democrats voting in my precinct in the 4 years I served as an Inspector of Elections meow2u3 Nov 5 #14

The Great News just keeps coming!!! wolfie001 Nov 5 #15

Proud Of My State Today! BBbats Nov 5 #17

I bet.. I'm proud of PA, too.. my son was Cha Nov 5 #19

Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty and David Wecht won new terms Cha Nov 5 #18

CaliforniaPeggy

(155,727 posts)

1. How wonderful this news is!

Reply to Wiz Imp (Original post)

Tue Nov 4, 2025, 09:25 PM

Nov 4

I am thrilled that those 3 Justices won their battles.

FakeNoose

(39,493 posts)

2. Jeff Yass wasted millions of dollars on his stupid mailers

Reply to Wiz Imp (Original post)

Tue Nov 4, 2025, 09:26 PM

Nov 4

Every voter in Pennsylvania received a bushel of worthless postcards telling us that we're all going to hell if the 3 Democratic judges are retained for another 10 years.

Oh my God! Jeff Yass, the wealthiest person in the state, could have fed the poor for an entire year with the money he wasted on those ridiculous mailers.

BumRushDaShow

(163,346 posts)

5. I heard some idiotic radio ad here in Philly by the GOP

Reply to FakeNoose (Reply #2)

Tue Nov 4, 2025, 10:02 PM

Nov 4

that was done to a '60s song (I can't for the life of me remember which one - my brain keeps saying "Barbara Ann" but I don't think it was that but something from the era) for "vote no".

BumRushDaShow

(163,346 posts)

3. Woot! THANK GOODNESS!

Reply to Wiz Imp (Original post)

Tue Nov 4, 2025, 09:53 PM

Nov 4

I heard last night that something like $20 million was spent on the retention races.

I did also hear that one of them will hit the mandatory retirement age of 75 before the 10 years is up so there will be an open seat at that point.

nycbos

(6,654 posts)

4. I thought that watching the Rangers game would be less stressful than watching these election results.

Reply to Wiz Imp (Original post)

Tue Nov 4, 2025, 10:00 PM

Nov 4

It turns out the exact opposite happened. The election results are fantastic across the country so far and the Rangers played like absolute crap

ancianita

(42,578 posts)

6. They won by a landslide!

Reply to Wiz Imp (Original post)

Tue Nov 4, 2025, 10:02 PM

Nov 4

Septua

(2,929 posts)

7. Trump and MAGA lose again...

Reply to Wiz Imp (Original post)

Tue Nov 4, 2025, 10:18 PM

Nov 4

I truly hope today's voter choices are a sign that the nation has adopted "No Kings" as a movement and not a just protest meme.

Deminpenn

(17,168 posts)

8. It was only by a couple thousand votes, but "Yes" won in even

Reply to Wiz Imp (Original post)

Tue Nov 4, 2025, 11:34 PM

Nov 4

my red county of Beaver.

John1956PA

(4,622 posts)

10. Beaver County's northern neightbor, Lawrence County, voted "No" to all three PA Supreme Court retentions.

Reply to Deminpenn (Reply #8)

Wed Nov 5, 2025, 12:18 AM

Nov 5

Of the two lower court retentions, Lawrence County voted "No" for one and "Yes" for the other.

In Lawrence County tallies, of the three PA Supreme Court retentions, Christing Donohue fared a bit better than the two males, but she still came up short 49.4% to 50.6%.

The two lower court out-right elections saw each of the Republican candidates win by about 14,500 to 9,500.

Voter turnout was at its usual weak level for an off-year election. The MAGAs were energized to come out in strong numbers as compared to the Dems.

Lawrence County's current trend to favor Republican candidates over Dems remains significant. However, with the close margin in the retention votes, there is hope for us Dems that the tide turning a bit.

Deminpenn

(17,168 posts)

11. "Yes" won in some surprising places

Reply to John1956PA (Reply #10)

Wed Nov 5, 2025, 07:41 AM

Nov 5

Beaver county has voted for Dems recently. Tom Wolfe and Josh Shapiro, iirc, both won. And the county elected a Dem DA two years ago.

Here are the other "yes" counties:
Allegheney
Berks (which has a big Hispanic population)
Beaver
Bucks (might be bad news for Brian Fitzpatrick)
Centre
Chester
Columbia
Cumberland
Dauphin (Harrisburg area)
Delaware
Erie
Lackawanna
Lancaster
Lehigh (might be trouble for the R House incumbent)
Luzerne
Monroe
Montgomery
Montour (1 of 3 won)
Northampton
Northumberland (1 of 3 won)
Philadelphia
Pike
Union
Washington
Westmoreland (it wasn't really close)
York (2 of 3 won)

Even the counties where "no" won, the vote was much closer than usual where the counties in the "T" generally give Rs of 35+ points.. The most interesting vote was the one in Westmoreland, which is very conservative where :"yes" won by about 6k votes for each retention candidate. That should put a scare into Rentchenthaler.

The two seats Rs flipped in 2024, PA-7 and PA-10 both voted for :yes". With the votes in Cumberland and York counties, Perry could be in trouble.

Wiz Imp

(8,152 posts)

21. If Democrats can maintain any momentum at all, Perry's toast.

Reply to Deminpenn (Reply #11)

Wed Nov 5, 2025, 06:13 PM

Nov 5

Democrats won numerous races in Dauphin & Cumberland counties that hadn't voted for Democrats in decades. I'm especially glad the Democrats won the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas races (first time in 33 years!!). I can't stand Chardo & Zugay. Their ads were so disgusting - the only reason they could give for people to vote for them is that they've won elections before. They said nothing about actually doing the job of a Judge.

https://democraticunderground.com/100220776495

Deminpenn

(17,168 posts)

22. Dems swept the statewide judicial races

Reply to Wiz Imp (Reply #21)

Wed Nov 5, 2025, 08:15 PM

Nov 5

Good to learn they did well in other local judicial elections.

I wonder if last night's results put a scare in Kim Ward and the rest of the state Senate Rs to quit holding up the state budget, now on month 5.

AllaN01Bear

(28,033 posts)

9. ding. THIS

Reply to Wiz Imp (Original post)

Tue Nov 4, 2025, 11:35 PM

Nov 4

KICK. eggscllent news.

Deminpenn

(17,168 posts)

12. Dems also swept the Commonwealth and Superior court races

Reply to Wiz Imp (Original post)

Wed Nov 5, 2025, 07:47 AM

Nov 5

All judges were retained andDs Newman and Tsai won seats on the lower courts.

Wiz Imp

(8,152 posts)

16. Yep! It was a 7 for 7 sweep!

Reply to Deminpenn (Reply #12)

Wed Nov 5, 2025, 01:07 PM

Nov 5

BlueWavePsych

(3,309 posts)

13. Democrats didn't just rebound. They dominated.

Reply to Wiz Imp (Original post)

Wed Nov 5, 2025, 08:09 AM

Nov 5

Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill cruised to double-digit victories in Virginia and New Jersey. Two Georgia Democrats flipped seats on the state’s Public Service Commission, the first non-federal statewide wins for a Democrat in nearly two decades. Democrats flipped a pair of Republican-held state Senate seats in Mississippi, cracking the GOP supermajority in a deep-red state. And a successful California ballot measure delivered five additional seats for the party’s House margins ahead of the 2026 midterms, offsetting Texas’ redistricting push.

But they also started to overperform in special elections, hinting that the tide was turning. And on Tuesday, their first big electoral test of the second Trump era, they didn’t just match the wins from eight years ago that had been a harbinger of a blue wave in the 2018 midterms — in several key races, they exceeded them.

“After brutal losses, like 2024 and 2016, it is hard to trust polling … and your gut of what should happen historically. You can’t trust it,” said Stephanie Schriock, a Democratic strategist who formerly led EMILY’s List, a progressive group that elects women. “But everything, the internal polling, the organizations on the ground, the No Kings and Indivisible movement, the energy, it was all there.”

“The one thing that would worry me, besides making sure you hold the House, is looking at how Democrats were able to fire up their base in some of these local elections in Georgia,” the strategist said.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/05/democrats-2025-win-midterms-virginia-new-jersey-00637057

Cha

(315,831 posts)

20. TY for all that additional Dem s Win info!

Reply to BlueWavePsych (Reply #13)

Wed Nov 5, 2025, 05:45 PM

Nov 5

meow2u3

(25,231 posts)

14. I've seen more Democrats voting in my precinct in the 4 years I served as an Inspector of Elections

Reply to Wiz Imp (Original post)

Wed Nov 5, 2025, 09:36 AM

Nov 5

Many young people were voting for the first time. Democrats, independents, and disaffected Republicans (moderates MAGAts call RINOs) created a steady stream of voters sick and tired of MAGA tyranny. We told him who shall not be named a resounding NO!

We wiped up the floor with the repunks!